Police officer Chen Shu

Chapter 435 Returning Home to Visit Parents (Part 2)

"All you do is drink! Be careful you don't get a stroke and end up in bed one day. I'll go to the square to dance with Old Man Deng, and you'd better not be crying in your blankets!"

Chen's mother came out of the kitchen and carried a large pot of pig's trotter soup. She placed it on the table in a spot where Chen Shu could easily scoop the soup, and then casually smacked Chen's father on the head.

Mr. Chen felt extremely wronged: "Didn't we agree that I wouldn't drink this week, but you wanted me and my son to have a couple more drinks today?"

With her hands on her hips, Chen's mother retorted forcefully, "Isn't your son supposed to be unable to drink? If he's not drinking, why are you still drinking by yourself?"

Watching his parents bicker reminded Chen Shu of his childhood.

Back then, there were occasional arguments at home. When Chen Shu was young, he thought his father was bullying his mother, since his father was a man. So whenever his parents argued, as long as he heard it, he would rush over and start punching his father, saying, "Big brother's here!"

The two, who had been arguing fiercely, were rendered speechless and amused by the straightforward child, and their quarrel vanished.

As Chen Shu grew older, he truly realized that his parents had a really good relationship. No matter what the reason for their arguments was, or who was right and who was wrong, in the end, it was always his father who would apologize and coax his mother.

According to his father's later statement, his wife was ultimately his wife, just like Xiao Chenshu, and she was his most precious family member. He would feel sorry for her when she was angry or upset.

At home, the focus is on family ties. Reasoning and logic are things to discuss with outsiders.

The family ate for half a day in a playful atmosphere. In the end, Chen's mother couldn't resist her husband's patience and let him open a bottle of red wine and drink a lot of it.

“Chen Shu, your father is also ashamed. I’ve been busy with business since you were little and haven’t paid much attention to your studies and growth. Fortunately, you were sensible early and have never caused us any worry.”

"I haven't seen you bring home much money," Chen's mother joked, sitting on the side.

Mr. Chen slammed his hand on the table, a little anxious, with a hint of coquetry: "Oh dear, don't embarrass me in front of our son. Over the decades, even if I haven't achieved anything great, I've certainly put in a lot of hard work."

Chen's mother ignored him and rudely took away the wine glass in front of him: "If you're so capable, why don't you pay off our son's mortgage? Our son doesn't cause us any trouble, that's because he's sensible! What does it have to do with you, who's never home?"

Mr. Chen didn't dare to stop him, muttering, "Isn't that getting up early and working late to earn money?"

Chen's mother asked Chen Shu, "I remember when you were in elementary school, I was wondering why you never asked me to sign anything, but then I found out that you were signing your textbooks and test papers yourself. Didn't your teachers have any objections?"

"I see you all leave before dawn and go straight to bed when you get home at night, you're exhausted. I can handle these things myself, so I won't bother you." Chen Shu picked up a piece of bok choy, the taste was still the same as when he was a child.

Chen's mother reached out and slapped Chen's father's hand, which was secretly reaching for a wine glass. As if recalling something funny, she covered her mouth and said, "Later, when your aunt came over for a chat, she told me that you actually made your brother attend the school's parent-teacher conference."

Chen Shu's cousin was only three years older than him. One dared to call him, and the other dared to go. They were truly cousins ​​who had grown up together. Later, after the teacher pointed it out, Chen Shu used obviously fabricated excuses such as his parents being away on business trips or visiting relatives to make excuses at the next parent-teacher conference. However, his grades had always been excellent, so the teacher didn't take it seriously.

Listening to his parents talk about his childhood experiences with smell, Chen Shu touched his nose, still feeling a little embarrassed.

As the conversation progressed, Chen's mother, knowing her husband's intentions, turned a blind eye and let him drink a bottle of red wine.

It was getting late. Originally, Chen's mother had prepared a room where Chen Shu had been a child so that he could sleep at home tonight. However, a work call from his workplace made Chen Shu start packing his clothes to leave.

Chen's mother was somewhat reluctant to part with him, and Chen's father had something to say.

Perhaps it was the alcohol taking effect, but Mr. Chen gently put down his glass, his face grave, and nodded: "Chen Shu, you should know that you are our only son, and you will have to be there for us in our final days. Do you understand?"

Parents, especially those of their age, have to admit that their only child is their whole world. They're not stupid; they couldn't possibly be unaware of the scandals Chen Shu's missions had caused.

I could no longer contain my worries and that's why I finally spoke up today.

Chen Shu silently stopped dressing, took out a cigarette from his pocket, and handed one to his father. Looking at his parents, he finally noticed that most of their hair had turned white, and crow's feet had crept up around their eyes without them realizing it.

Seeing the hopeful look in their eyes, Chen Shu nodded heavily.

"Understood, Dad, Mom." At this moment, in the conference room of Zhengming District Branch, during the latter half of the routine office meeting chaired by Executive Deputy Director Zhang Xuming, Deputy Director Wang, the duty leader of the Municipal Bureau for today, appeared on the large screen of the conference room.

After briefly outlining the relevant instructions from the Municipal Public Security Bureau's Party Committee, he suddenly singled out Chen Shu from the Special Police Brigade, highly praising his recent rescue operation at a fire. Finally, he subtly alluded to the hostage situation that occurred six months prior at the old train station, where he, as the on-site commander, single-handedly saved the hostages.

The police officers from the branch office were all astonished to hear the city bureau's bigwigs mention their branch's SWAT team so openly during a televised conference. Normally, this kind of workplace support is conducted covertly, circulating among only a very small number of essential people, and both parties involved are afraid of others knowing about their private relationship.

Such a public praise from Director Wang indicates either an extremely close relationship between the two, so close that there are no reservations, or that Chen Shu's achievements have received unanimous approval from the Municipal Bureau's Party Committee, which is why Director Wang spoke so frankly and clearly.

As seasoned veterans of the workplace, accustomed to underestimating the special police, the shock that Director Wang's actions brought them was truly indescribable.

They looked around but found that Chen Shu, or the leaders of the special police brigade, were not there at all.

After the meeting ended and the attendees dispersed, Zhang Xuming called his liaison officer, Xiao Li, and asked him to arrange the itinerary with the publicity department as soon as possible. He wanted to visit the special police brigade to express his appreciation to outstanding police officer Chen Shu on behalf of the branch's D committee.

That evening, at the Zhengming Special Police Brigade's headquarters, in the third-floor office.

After having dinner with his parents, Chen Shu received a last-minute notice to return to work and work overtime. He stood alone in front of the bookshelf next to his desk, carefully wiping a photo frame in his hand. Inside the frame was a digital photograph of the painting that Zhang Yang had somehow managed to obtain and deliver to the hospital ward some time ago.

After a while, the mirrored surface of the photo frame was so clean it couldn't be cleaner. Only then did Chen Shu place the photo frame on the top shelf of the bookcase, and then his gaze shifted to the two photo frames next to it.

A few years ago, when leaders from the branch office came to the Zhongshan Police Station to express their appreciation, the proud instructor Zeng Hong would always lead them to the wall covered with banners to take photos.

He used to like that wall very much because it represented the affirmation he received from the people.

But now, he prefers these photos because they represent his youth, his choices, and his past.

Whether others approve or not doesn't really matter. These are all decisions he made himself; he doesn't seek anything or need anyone's approval. When he was a child, he read a series of novels written by a Korean author called "Dragon Raja." He's forgotten most of the content, but one sentence has stayed with him for decades.

The path you follow is the right path.

Just then, the sound of heavy footsteps running up and down the stairs came from outside, interrupting Chen Shu's recollection. He remained calm, knowing that it must be the leaders from the branch office who had come to offer their condolences.

But then Yan Song's urgent shouts rang out, which were not quite what Chen Shu had expected.

"Team Leader Chen! Team Leader Chen! Team Leader Chen! Something's happened! Something's happened! The command center has forwarded an emergency alert! You need to come over here right away!"

"Okay! I'll be right there! Go and notify the duty team to prepare for the call! Remember to bring all the equipment!"

For some reason, when Chen Shu heard that it was time to go on a police mission, he felt tense for a moment, but then he relaxed a little.

He glanced at the row of photo frames on the top shelf of the bookcase, a slight smile playing on his lips, then turned and strode off towards the outside.

With a bang, the door was slammed shut.

The office fell silent immediately.

Except for the picture frame on the top shelf, which was making a slight "clicking" sound due to the vibration of the door closing.

Above, besides the photo of Chen Shu lying under the old building holding a little boy while fighting the fire, there are two old photo frames next to it.

One is a black-and-white photo in a newspaper with the year 2008 printed on it, showing the Dongzhou Special Police Detachment rushing along the road, with a pile of ruins in the background. Chen Shu, carrying the detachment's flag, stands at the front, his extremely young face frowning as he looks ahead, followed by dozens of special police officers in black training uniforms.

Another scene was at the site of a wrecked high-speed train carriage, where several special police officers and firefighters were carefully supporting a little girl lying with her eyes closed in their arms. Chen Shu stood on the nearby mountain of wreckage, his right hand hanging limply, looking at the little girl with tenderness in his eyes.

(End of this chapter)